Cherinet Hariffo

Today march 7th 2025, as I present my credentials as first ever and the youngest permanent observer of IGAD Secretariat at the United Nations, I am reminded of the journey that brought me here. From being displaced as a child to standing among senior diplomats, this is not what I could have imagined seven years ago as a refugee. But here we are. Especial thank you to He: my mentor @DrWorkneh Gebeyehu for giving me the opportunity to shine And be of service to the people of my region and my organization. #DiscoverIGAD, #Regionalpeace #Multilateralism @DrWorkneh @IGADsecretariat @MAWareSO @IGAD_CPAC @UN @UNmigration @Refugees @SandokanDebebe @AbiyAhmedAli @TakeleUma

A New Era of Youth Leadership for Africa I am applying to serve as the next African Union Youth Envoy, and I want to say clearly why, and what I think this moment carries for the young people of our continent. Africa is entering a new era. This era will be shaped less by the institutions we inherit and more by the quality of leadership our generation is willing to build. We are the youngest continent in the world, yet the voices of our young people still tend to arrive in rooms after the decisions have already been made. That reality is no longer acceptable, and in truth, it is already shifting, because a generation is rising that refuses to be represented in its own absence. The next chapter of youth leadership on this continent must speak the language of young people, and I mean this seriously. There is a difference between speaking to the youth and speaking about the youth, and every young African senses that difference immediately. Our generation lives between the memory of liberation and the demands of transformation. We are the children of independence, the grandchildren of struggle, and the ones now expected to write what comes next. We move across borders, across languages, across platforms, across disciplines, and we deserve leadership that carries the same fluency and the same imagination. For our youth, this means an envoy who treats their concerns as political matters of the first order. #Employment, #education, #migration, #climate, #technology, #peace, #mental health, artistic voice, and political participation are the daily texture of a young African life. They are not sectoral files to be distributed across departments. They are the substance of a generation, and they must be engaged as such. For our youth, this also means an envoy who carries the historical weight of where we come from. Africa did not stumble into this century. We arrived here through Pan African thought, through liberation movements, through the founding of the Organization of African Unity, through its transformation into the African Union, through decades of insistence that this continent is capable of authoring its own future. Young people deserve leadership that carries that inheritance with pride, and that converts it into present political action. For our youth, this means diplomacy that actually works in their interest. Our generation is engaging with the world at a scale no previous African generation has encountered. From the United Nations to the G20, from climate negotiations to trade platforms, from Agenda 2063 to the African Continental Free Trade Area, the interests of African youth must be defended with strategy, with clarity, and with the confidence of a continent that is no longer negotiating from a place of apology. And for our youth, this means placing refugees, displaced young people, and young people living through conflict at the very top of the agenda. Millions of young Africans are carrying lives they did not choose, in camps, in transit, in cities that barely acknowledge them, in silences that have gone on for too long. Their voices belong at the front of our work, not at its margins. A new era of youth leadership has to begin by restoring their dignity, their presence, and their political weight. Their story is our story, and any honest youth agenda begins with them. I am stepping forward because I believe Africa is ready for a Youth Envoy who speaks with young people rather than on their behalf. Someone grounded in the history of this continent, serious about its politics, capable in its diplomacy, and fluent in the multilateral system where so much of our future is being negotiated, while remaining close to the everyday realities of the young people this office exists to serve. This is the era we are walking into. A generation that is informed, connected, courageous, and unwilling to wait for permission to shape the future of Africa @NuursViews @AbiyAhmedAli @DrWorkneh @adoniaayebare

@felipepaullier @UN Great work brother @felipepaullier and your entire team. this year we have seen young people from all walks of life, and different faces to participate and have a voice some for Their very first time. Looking forward to engage on depth on the IGAD region as well.

This week, we launched the #Youth2030 Progress Report 2026 at @UN High-Level Political Forum ✨🇺🇳. With 500+ participants, we united Member States, UN leaders & youth to drive the SDGs & Pact for the Future. 🔗 Read the full report here: un.org/youthaffairs/e…

@NuursViews That was such a disappointment but I guess our expectations were really high!

Come on #England

Against the odds, #Ethiopia has chosen the path of discussion, negotiation, and dialogue, demonstrating its commitment to a future founded on prosperity, peace, and long-term stability. This decision reflects the country’s determination to prioritize constructive engagement and peaceful solutions over confrontation. The nation needs continued commitment to peace, inclusive dialogue, mutual understanding, and cooperation from all stakeholders to secure lasting stability and sustainable development. Representing the #IGAD region, H.E. @DrWorkneh urged all parties to remain steadfast in their commitment to dialogue, emphasizing that peace, trust, and collaboration are the cornerstones of regional stability, shared prosperity, and a better future for the peoples of the Horn of Africa.

Le blue did well! #France has played really strong and congrats to #Spain

It was great to meet you my dear sister @unfpachief and explore area of possible cooperation. I am appreciative of the initiative of your good office to continue and expand our partnership. I am looking forward to work closely with you and your team in New York. @DrWorkneh @IGADsecretariat @IGAD_Spokes @IGAD_Missions @UNFPA @ymahmoudali @NuursViews @SMHaderaAbera @AbiyAhmedAli

Delighted to have had a productive and warm engagement with my dear sister H.E. Diene Keita (@unfpachief ) Executive Director of @UNFPA. We explored ways to strengthen collaboration on various areas of mutual interest, and expand our preexisting partnership. #IGAD #UNFPA

Our collaboration with #IGAD is supporting pathways to the peace and prosperity Africa seeks. Grateful for work of H.E. @cherinet_, Permanent Observer of IGAD to the UN in advocating for vulnerable populations affected by conflict and crisis.

Today, on behalf of H.E. @DrWorkneh Gebeyehu, @IGADsecretariat addressed the @UN Security Council on women, peace & security honouring the promise of international law to survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. Our message: justice must be the agenda. Survivors need funded, sustained care not silence. Women must have a seat at every peace table. And a Council that doesn't reflect the world, including Africa's rightful representation, cannot fully serve it.

It is great to connect with my brother H.E Ambassador Abushahab and discuss the issues of mutual interest. @DrWorkneh @IGADsecretariat @IGAD_Spokes @IGADPeace @IGAD_Missions @NuursViews @ymahmoudali @AbiyAhmedAli @_AfricanUnion @poaenglish @SMHaderaAbera @BerhanuTsegaye @GHessebon

التقى سعادة السفير أبوشهاب بسعادة شيرينيت هاريفو، المندوب الدائم للهيئة الحكومية الدولية المعنية بالتنمية (إيغاد)، حيث بحث الجانبان تعزيز الشراكة بين دولة الإمارات و"إيغاد"، إلى جانب مناقشة آخر التطورات في منطقة القرن الأفريقي. وأشادت دولة الإمارات بجهود "إيغاد" ضمن المجموعة الخماسية لدفع عملية سياسية شاملة في السودان، مؤكدة على أن الأزمة السودانية لا يمكن حلها عسكرياً. وأكدت الدولة على أهمية التوصل إلى هدنة إنسانية فورية وغير مشروطة، ووقف دائم لإطلاق النار، وعملية سياسية شاملة ومستقلة بقيادة مدنية تلبي تطلعات الشعب السوداني.

This evening I held Productive bilateral engagement with the Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates 🇦🇪 @UAEMissionToUN 🇺🇳 , H.E. Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab on matters of mutual interest. It was a pleasure to discuss key areas of mutual importance and explore strategic avenues for a strengthened partnership. Our conversation focused on critical pillars for regional advancement:

Congratulations to you your Excellency @DrWorkneh Gebeyehu on this great achievement. This scholarship will definitely change the trajectory of the IGAD region and beyond on the areas of peace and security. This is a result of your years of leadership at both as a civil servant in Ethiopia and beyond. Congratulations once again Dr.

#IGAD Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mr. Cherinet Hariffo, met with Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, at the UN Headquarters in New York. Their discussions focused on strengthening the longstanding partnership between #IGAD and the United Nations, advancing regional peace, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding.

Stronger IGAD UN relations for a peaceful and stronger regional response to the needs of the people ok the ground. @DrWorkneh @DicarloRosemary @ymahmoudali @_AfricanUnion

Strengthening the IGAD–United Nations Partnership for Peace and Stability. #IGAD Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mr. Cherinet Hariffo, on behalf of H.E. Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, met with H.E. Ms. Rosemary DiCarlo, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, at the UN Headquarters in New York. Their discussions focused on strengthening the longstanding partnership between #IGAD and the United Nations, advancing regional peace, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding. #RisingWithIGAD #OneRegionOneFuture

Today, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting with H.E. Ms. @DicarloRosemary , the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (#DPPA), at the UN Headquarters. Our discussion focused on deepening the vital partnership between #IGAD and the United Nations. We explored new, robust avenues of collaboration aimed at enhancing regional stability, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding. We also had a productive exchange on the current geopolitical dynamics across the region, specifically reviewing collaborative efforts and paths forward in Somalia, Sudan, and Ethiopia. By aligning the regional expertise of IGAD with the global reach of the UN, we can build more resilient frameworks for sustainable peace and security. #DiplomacyWorks #IGAD_UN #HornOfAfrica #RegionalIntegration

The young people of our continent are speaking! @ymahmoudali @_AfricanUnion @NuursViews @DrWorkneh @AUYouthProgram

Protection Begins with Prevention: IGAD Addresses the United Nations General Assembly. At the United Nations General Assembly, #IGAD Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mr. Cherinet Hariffo, delivered a statement on behalf of H.E. Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu, Executive Secretary of IGAD, during the debate on the Responsibility to Protect and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. Mr. Cherinet reaffirmed @DrWorkneh’s call that protecting communities starts with preventing conflict, emphasizing the importance of local peacebuilding, including cross-border efforts in Moyale. The statement also urged greater investment in women and youth, called for stronger regional cooperation, and expressed IGAD's support for Ghana's landmark resolution recognizing the transatlantic enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity. 🎥 Watch video. #RisingWithIGAD #OneRegionOneFuture

The next @_AfricanUnion Youth Envoy must be someone who actually knows the challenges the young people of our continent are facing day in and day out. We cannot just repeat the old methodologies, sit in the same echo chambers, and expect different results. The reality of our generation cannot be understood purely through policy briefs, it has to be lived. #Agenda2063 is only going to become a reality when young people are given the space to actively contribute to it and completely own it. It’s time for a leadership style that bridges high-level multilateral diplomacy with the raw, grassroots truth of our people. We belong at the primary decision-making table, part and parcel of every major conversation. Let's shift the paradigm. 🌍✊ #AUYouthEnvoy #Agenda2063 #YouthLeadership #TheAfricaWeWant